@Shop-et-al: I think you are looking into things incorrectly.
* The office closed at 6:00. Touring somebody a few minutes after 4:00 will not make them stay late. The reason tours are cut off early, by policy, sometimes is that the sun sets early in the winter in the north. Touring after dark is considered a safety issue. Today's sunset was at 4:35 PM. I do not know the company's policy. However, "no tours after dark" is normal. Having a specific tour cutoff time is as well. I do have to question why it was possible to schedule a 5:30 tour online.
* What exactly is the company's policy? The office closed at 6:00. Even if touring after 4:00 was not permitted, would a virtual tour in the office be a problem as well? This is a totally different situation. After all, the office was open and signage on the door invited people in. Obviously "safety" would not be a concern here?
* The leasing professional was clear over the phone that there was a deadline. She was also clear that she could allow me to be "five" minutes late. However, I understood the "five minutes" to be a little loose: She expressed in our phone conversation that she understood that I was "at the mercy of traffic." Then, I was a whole four minutes after the "five" minutes would have passed.
* Apartment leasing professionals are salespeople. They are assessed on their salesmanship. The question at hand will be: Was there a strict policy that stated that I could not even be shown a floor plan in the office or should the leasing professionals be willing to work with prospective residents who have legitimate difficulties making limited office hours? This is a question for the client more than anything. My **opinion** is that, had the policy been that strict, I should not have been offered a little grace over the phone. The leasing professional knew exactly how long my drive from work was and that I was really pushing it to make it anywhere close to 4:00. After a 39 minute drive, she should have seen me. Not doing so was simply poor PR.
* Yes, students get into trouble when they show up late to class. However, when they have legitimate reasons for tardiness (previous teacher held them late, in counseling center, seeing the nurse, etc.), they are totally and completely excused - even more so when the potential tardiness is discussed ahead of time.
* All that said, whether or not I should be paid is a totally different question. If she leasing professional was following actual company policy - including not showing some flexibility, I cannot deny that I missed the deadline by 4 minutes. However, after the phone conversation, I truly though that, if I was close, I would be "okay." I was completely shocked that I was not given, at the least, a sit-down conversation in the office.
Hard work builds character and homework is good for your soul.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/10/2020 04:56AM by MFJohnston.